Alright, my friend and I just finished discussing which is better, local coffee or corporate Starbucks. Personally, I think local coffee sucks big time. I think corporate coffee, like Starbucks, is sooo much better than crappy local coffee....

Living in Seattle, big corporate Starbucks is local, and holds the title of my favorite coffee place. Besides convenience (theres practically one on every corner), they have some of the best espresso coffee I have ever had and lots of variety. Though its not as cheap, I would choose Starbucks over the corner espresso stand anyday.
Mmmm... now you've got me thirsty!

Here in San Francisco, our city is infested with Starbucks.
I like most of our local places better.
Although Starbucks has a great Egg Nog Latte and there Oatmeal Cookies are good!
I also like the beer, Red Hook Double Black Stout thats brewed with Starbucks Coffee!

Local coffee here is better verses places like College Station, Texas I would assume Starbucks is better than your local coffe places.

Another personal favorite chain would be, believe it or not,Texaco Gas Stations!

The world is becoming infested by Starbucks! I was in Portland last week and there is this little shopping mall thing in downtown and there were two Starbucks in the place and it wasn't that big plus one accros the street! In LA Coffee Bean is pretty good for corporate type coffee, I like it better than Starbucks. There is this place in the Valley called Coffee Roaster that is really good.

~N960AS

Sasha, Cadbury's hot chocolate is the best, any of their products are good, I went on a Cadbury's shopping spree at LHR last time I was there!

>The world is becoming infested by Starbucks! I was in Portland last week and there is this little shopping mall thing in downtown and there were two Starbucks in the place and it wasn't that big plus one accros the street!

Where I live south of Seattle, I'd say there are at least 15 Starbucks in a five-mile radius. And a few of them are in defunct fast-food restaurant buildings with drive-thru windows. They sure are making it easy now...

I think it actually depends on WHO is making the coffee. Starbucks is a major chain and is really not the definitive voice of coffee. I've been to Seattle and find "Seattle's Best" much better. In SF, Peets or Pasqua (which was bought out by starbucks), or Caffee Trieste or Royal Ground is far superior. Now nohthing can hold a candle to the coffee you get at cafes in France or Italy but most good cafes here in SF use Motta or Ily Caffee which is the true italian coffee beans. Delicious. Also United Airlines servings of Starbucks is a joke, so watered down. If you want good airline coffee try Air France! Really!!

It's the same reason some go to McDonalds whenever they travel...consistency and known value (questionable quality). I go to Starbucks because I travel worldwide frequently. I know what I'm getting. Around the USA and around the world, if you go to a local coffeehouse, you never know if they know the difference between a cappachino and a latte. The atmosphere at local coffee houses is often better, unique and has interresting people, but when I'm on my way to a norning meeting in city X, I just want my coffee they way I'm familiar with it.

As for United, yes they use Starbucks beans, but the beans don't mean anything if you don't know how to prepare them!
Starbucks is really the only place that I have had good coffee 100% of the time- never a screw up.